Christmas Bird Count set to begin in Mendocino Co.

Zoologist Roger Foote has a box filled with bird skins, freeze-dried birds preserved and protected in plastic tubes -- a thrush, hummingbird, hawk, jay, starling, titmouse, finch -- that represent a small sample of the more than 130 avian species found on any annual, 15-mile-diameter-circle Christmas Bird Count (CBC) in Mendocino County.

According to Foote, the initial bird identification counts performed in the early 1800s by John James Audubon and his peers were not accomplished by counting but by shooting and killing. It went hand-in-hand with the early American, winter tradition of hunting as many living things as possible. Adding to the destruction of wildlife was the new millinery trend of the late 19th and early 20th centuries in which lady's hats were decorated and beautified with feathers. Many bird species suffered decimation by hunters, most especially the tall, white, elegant egret, whose beautiful white plumes were used to create the latest ideal in lady's fashion.

People appalled by this egregious misuse of natural resources initiated a movement to protect birds, resulting in the birth of the Audubon Society, the Great Egret as its logo, and the development of counting instead of killing for identification.

The international Audubon Christmas Bird Count, the longest-running citizen science wildlife survey in the world, began in 1900 when Dr. Frank Chapman suggested counting our feathered friends as an alternative to the tradition of killing them. This year will be the 113th event in which over 63,000 volunteers will participate to tally over 2,200 varieties including over 60 million birds.

The CBC takes place during a three-week window beginning on Dec. 14 and ending on Jan. 5. This year in Mendocino County there will be three successive CBCs. On Dec. 15, the Peregrine Audubon Society will count birds in a 15-mile diameter centered near Talmage and encompassing Lake Mendocino, Mendocino College, Ukiah and parts of Cow Mountain and areas south of Burke Hill; on Dec. 22 the count will include an area from Fort Bragg to Mendocino; and on Dec. 29 the count will be inclusive from Point Arena to Mendocino.

In Ecuador, the 15-mile radius might highlight the identification of as many as 400 species whereas in Ukiah the greatest record count, although not as large as that of the exotic rainforests of the Amazon, is still pretty impressive with a high of 138 species achieved in 2010.

While Foote speaks about the count, he reveals the breadth of his knowledge and the depth of his passion for local ornithology. His anecdotal recollections describe a time of mutual recognition with a family of Common Ravens living in a no-longer-extant Deodar Cedar on Bush Street; a sighting of a Peregrine Falcon flying with a Band-Tailed Pigeon in its grasp to a large oak tree on Smith Street where it proceeded to rip apart and devour its prey; hearing Western Screech-Owls from his westside backyard during the summer months and witnessing Barn Owls fly over at dusk.

A serious day of birding for Foote can begin at 4:45 a.m. when he meets up with Chuck Vaughn and they drive out Low Gap Road in the dark listening for owls. If they are really lucky they will hear four different species including the Western Screech Owl; the Great Horned Owl, the largest owl in North America and also known more commonly as the Hoot Owl; the Pygmy Owl and The Northern Saw-Whet Owl. Once in a while they will hear a Barn Owl.

"Birding by ear is an important part of the experience; many times you can recognize the bird by its call, sometimes never seeing it. It is part of developing an awareness about birds," says Foote.

Seven, leader-led, volunteer groups will head out at 8 p.m. on the morning of Saturday, Dec. 15, to perform the count. Really avid birders begin before daybreak and go until dark while others less fervent can participate for parts of the day. Foote will lead a beginner's count starting at 10 a.m., meeting at the gate to Mendocino College on Hensley Creek Road.

He explains, "We take an introductory look at the pond at the college and walk along the road looking for sparrows in the brush and oaks along the way. We often see Northern Flickers, Acorn Woodpeckers, Spotted Towhees, California Towhees, Western Scrub Jays, and Red-shouldered Hawks and Red-tailed Hawks."

"After the first speed bump on the road, to the left, is a little pond, a spectacular place to view wildlife. One year we saw four species of rails including American Coots, Virginia Rails, Common Moorhens and Sora Rails. It was noteworthy because rails live in the reeds and are able to flatten themselves laterally, making it very difficult to see them." (Birders contend that this is the reference for "skinny as a rail.")

"Continuing along we usually see Golden Crowned and White Crowned Sparrows and Gold Finches. In flight overhead we can see the Cooper's Hawk and the White-tailed Kite that hunt while hovering."

People bring binoculars and sometimes a spotting scope that help to distinguish yet more birds including a variety of finches, woodpeckers and finches.

The team leaders keep track of bird sightings throughout the count, and at the end of the day all participants will come together at the Grace Hudson Museum Public Room at 6 p.m. to enjoy a potluck dinner and afterward Bob Keiffer leads the final compilations.

The CBC is the most public event sponsored by the Peregrine Audubon Society throughout the year. It is part of their mission to educate the public and promote the conservation of birds, wildlife and natural habitats. Future events include a beginner's walk about falcons and falconry led by Art Haschak at Riverside Park on Feb. 19, and Native American Land Management led by Kat Anderson on March 19.

Foote says, "We believe people who are aware of and interested in the natural environment are more likely to stand up and take notice when it is threatened and to help conserve valuable areas whether it be natural oak woodlands or agricultural acreage."

For more information about the CBC or the Peregrine Audubon Society, call Bob Keiffer at 744-1160 or go to: peregrineaudubon.org.